The Good Life: Where Morality and Spirituality Converge

Morality and spirituality-at first blush they don't seem to be intimate partners. But spirituality is surely not relegated to the world of devotions, while the moral life should not be reduced to sins or individual acts of virtue. Based on the conviction that morality and spirituality converge when we explore the sort of persons we ought to become and the sort of lives we ought to lead, noted ethicist Richard Gula has written a simple, direct introduction to the Christian moral life. This work draws on four of the great biblical themes of Christian morality and spirituality to light up a vision of life and those virtues that constitute the biblical life. These biblical themes are being created in the image of God, (ch. 1); being a people of the covenant (chs. 2, 3, 4); being called to discipleship (ch. 5); and being a community of friends under the reign of God (ch. 6). The last chapter summarizes the vision of the good life. Each chapter ends with a variety of spiritual exercises which can enhance the connection between the moral life and the spiritual life. Lucid, concise, and without jargon, this book will make wonderful reflective reading for persons without a background in moral theology, for adult education groups, and high school and college classes. It is a powerful antidote to the strain of living in a consumer society. †

Richard M. Gula, S.S., who holds a Ph.D. from the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, is professor of moral theology at the Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, CA. He is the author of several other books, including Ethics in Pastoral Ministry (Paulist Press, 1996) and Moral Discernment (Paulist Press, 1997).